As the constellation of Matariki rises in the mid-winter sky, Aotearoa–New Zealand prepares to celebrate the Māori New Year — a time of remembrance, renewal, and hope. Matariki 2025 will be observed from 19 to 22 June, and this year, the Unique Mānuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA) is marking the occasion by celebrating the natural taonga of Aotearoa: mānuka honey.
Honouring a Treasured Taonga
Mānuka is a native tree of New Zealand, cherished by Māori for over a thousand years for its healing and restorative properties. Recognised today as both a Māori cultural treasure and a national treasure, the mānuka tree’s legacy lives on through mānuka honey, produced when bees forage on its delicate pink and white flowers.
But what is mānuka honey, and what is mānuka honey good for?
Modern science has revealed that mānuka honey’s benefits are truly unique. Naturally rich in antibacterial properties, mānuka honey is used to support wound healing, immune health, digestive comfort, and soothing sore throats. It is one of the few foods in the world with certified bioactive compounds, measured through the UMF™ (Unique Mānuka Factor) quality trademark, ensuring authenticity and potency.
To learn more about what makes mānuka honey from New Zealand so special, visit: What is Mānuka Honey
Matariki Giveaway: Win the Natural Goodness of Mānuka Honey
To celebrate this meaningful time of year, UMFHA is giving away 20 mānuka honey gift packs to honour the Matariki spirit of generosity and wellbeing. This is your chance to share in the natural power of New Zealand’s mānuka honey.
How to enter:
Email competitions@umf.org.nz and include one of the four key themes remembered at Matariki — remembrance, celebrating the present, planning for the future, or giving thanks for nature’s bounty.
Need help learning more about Matariki? Visit www.matariki.com for everything you need to know about this sacred time.
Mānawa maiea te putanga o Matariki
Celebrate the rising of Matariki
Mānawa maiea te ariki o te rangi
Celebrate the lord of the sky
Mānawa maiea te Mātahi o te tau
Celebrate the Māori New Year
Join us in celebrating Matariki, a time to reflect, reconnect, and reenergise. And don’t forget to enter for your chance to experience the pure, certified mānuka honey benefits of Aotearoa.
